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Denis Florence MacCarthy
Denis Florence MacCarthy (26 May 1817 - 7 April 1882) was an Irish poet, translator, and biographer. Life McCarthy was born at 24 Sackville St. (now O'Connell St.) Dublin. He was educated at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he acquired a knowledge of Spanish from a priest who had spent time in Spain.Denis Florence MacCarthy (1817-82), Ricorso. Web, Feb. 19, 2017. His first verses — "My Wishes" — were published in the Dublin Satirist in 1831, and for the next 2 years be contributed both prose and verse to that paper.MacDonald, 436. Like so many of his young contemporaries, MacCarthy espoused the repeal movement, and in 1843 (within 12 months after the founding of the paper) he began to contribute to the Nation a series of political verse, over the signature of "Desmond." He also joined in the work of the Irish political associations, but his political interests were always subordinate to his literary tastes. On the rally of the Young Ireland party in 1845, he threw all his energies into supporting the Nation. Most of his original work was contributed to the periodical literature of his time, and some of his poems and all his humorous prose papers have yet to be collected. His better known contributions are signed "Desmond," "Vig," "Trifolium," "Antonio," "S.E.Y.," or appear over his initials. After editing the Poets and Dramatists of Ireland, and the Book of Irish Ballads (1846), with introductory essays on the history and religion of the Irish, and on ballad poetry, he published the first volume of his own verses, Ballads, Poems, and Lyrics, in 1850; and, in 1857, The Bell-founder and Under-glimpses were published. Two odes by him have been published: "An Ode on the Death of the Earl of Belfast" (1856), and "The Centenary of Moore," (printed privately in London with a Latin translation by the Rev. M. J. Blacker, 1880). A passage in Shelley's Essays had directed his attention to Calderon, the Spanish dramatist, and he determined to translate Calderon's works. His aim was lo reproduce in English as faithfully as the language permitted, not only the ideas but the metrical and other peculiarities of the original. Both Ticknor (Spanish Literature, ii. 412) and Longfellow have commented on his success. These translations appeared as follows: Justina, a play, 1848, upon the title-page of which "J.H." only appears: Dramas, 1853; Love, the Greatest Enchantment, 1861; Mysteries of Corpus Christi, 1867; The Two Lovers of Heaven, 1870; The Wonder-working Magician, &c, 1873. In 1853 he was appointed to lecture on literature at the Catholic University, Dublin, but after delivering 3 discourses he resigned. Owing to ill-health in his family he had to leave Ireland in 1864, and after travelling on the continent settled in London. Shelley's Early Life, dealing principally with the poet's visit to Dublin, and raising the question as to whether he had published any poetry before he left Oxford, appeared in 1872. He spent the last few months of his life in Ireland, and died at Blackrock, near Dublin, on 7 April 1882. He had 9 children, 6 of whom predeceased him. Writing His poems are distinguished by a sense of harmony and sympathy with natural beauty. Such poems as "The Bridal of the Year," "Summer Longings" (alias "Waiting for the May"), and his long narrative poem, "The Voyage of St. Brendan," are among his most enduring works. The last-mentioned, which paraphrases the "Ave Maria Stella" as the evening song of the sailors, is also marked by the earnest religious feeling which marked its author throughout life.Thomas Kennedy, Denis Florence MacCarthy, Catholic Encyslopedia, New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1910. New Advent, Web, Feb. 18, 2010. But it is by his version of Calderon that he is considered to have won a permanent place in English letters. His success is sufficiently testified by George Ticknor, who declared in his History of Spanish Literature that MacCarthy "has succeeded in giving a faithful idea of what is grandest and most effective in Calderon's genius ... to a degree which I had previously thought impossible. Nothing, I think, in the English language will give us so true an impression of what is most characteristic of the Spanish drama, and of Spanish poetry generally." Recognition In 1871 he was granted a pension from the Civil List. In 1881 he received the medal of the Royal Academy of Spain for his labours in Spanish literature. His son, John, published a collection of his poems in 1884, but some of his best work was omitted from it. Publications Poetry *''Poems. Dublin, M.H. Gill, 1882. *Ballads, Poems, and Lyrics: Original and translated. Dublin: James McGlashan, 1850. *''The Bell-Founder, and other poems'. London: David Bogue, 1857. *''Underglimpses, And Other Poems''. London: David Bogue, 1857. *''Irish legends and lyrics: With poems of the imagination and fancy''. Dublin: McGlashan & Gill, 1858. *''The Centenary of Moore, May 28th, 1879: An ode. London: privately printed, 1880. *''Poems of Denis Florence McCarthy: With Life and Notes. Dublin: Educational Co., 1916? Non-fiction *''The Poets and Dramatists of Ireland''. Dublin, James Duffy: 1846. *''Shelley's Early Life from original sources. With ... incidents, letters, and writings, now first published''. London: John Camden Hotten, 1872. Translated *Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Justina: A play. London: J. Burns, 1848. * Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Dramas of Calderon: Tragic, comic, and legendary: Translated from the Spanish, principally in the metre of the original. London, Charles Dolman, 1853. **"The Constant Prince" ("El Principe Constante") **"The Secret in Words" ("El Secreto a Voces" **"The Physician of His own Honour" ("El Medico de Su Honra") **"Love after Death" ("Amar despues de la Muerte"), " **"The Purgatory of Saint Patrick" ("El Purgatorio de San Patricio") **"The Scarf and the Flower" ("La Banda y la Flor") ** Rebound with a foreword in 1886 for the Memorial Fund Committee. * Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Love the Greatest Enchantment: The Sorceries of Sin: The Devotion of the Cross ("El Mayor Encanto Amor, Los Encantos de la Culpa" (an "Auto Sacramental"), and "La Devocion de la Cruz"). London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, 1861. * Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Mysteries of Corpus Christi. Dublin: James Duffy, 1867. **"Balshazza's Feast" ("La Cena de Balthasar") **"The Divine Philothea" ("La Divina Filotea") * Pedro Calderón de la Barca, The Two Lovers of Heaven: Chrysanthus and Daria ("Los dos amantes del cielo: Crisanto y Daria"). Dublin: J.F. Fowler / London: John Camden Hotten, 1870. *Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Calderon's Dramas London: Henry S. King, 1873. **"Life is a Dream" ("La Vida es Sueño") ** "The Wonder-Working Magician" ("El Magico Prodigioso") **"The Purgatory of St. Patrick" ("Purgatorio de San Patricio") (new edition). * Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Daybreak at Capacabana (La Aurora en Copacabana) was completed shortly before the translator's death. Edited *''The Book of Irish Ballads. Dublin: James Duffy / London: Simkin Marshall, 1846. ''Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Denis Florence MacCarthy, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Sep. 25, 2013. See also * List of Irish poets References * . Wikisource, Web, Feb. 18, 2017. Notes External links ;Poems *Denis Florence MacCarthy in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895: "The Irish Wolf-Hound," "Bless the Dear Old Verdant Land" *Denis Florence MacCarthy at Poetry Cat *Denis Florence MacCarthy at PoemHunter (73 poems) *Denis Florence MacCarthy at Poetry Nook (202 poems) ;Books * ;About *Denis Florence MacCarthy" in the Catholic Encyclopedia *Denis Florence MacCarthy (1817-82) st Ricorso * MacCarthy, Denis Florence Category:1817 births Category:1882 deaths Category:Burials at Glasnevin Cemetery Category:Irish poets Category:Catholic poets Category:Irish Catholic poets Category:Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Category:People from County Dublin Category:19th-century Irish people Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Irish translators Category:Translators to English